Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions

pluto5 · January 2002

DC paid for new part on '94 GC but not labor. Apparently AC failures are common across the DC lines but this secret warranty still seems to be a secret. Unfortunately, labor cost is high for this part, 5-6 hours. Cheaper at an independent garage but you may have more difficulty in getting DC to pay for the part ($250).

pnh21 · January 2002

Have the motor mounts and transmission mounts replaced, may solve the problem.

myjets9044 · January 2002

2000 Dodge GC Sport After 19,172 miles I started to have tranmission fluid leaking. Brought in for service check and had one line and new clamps installed all under factory warrantee. No charge.Wonder if this is going to be a constant problem at another 20000 miles. Lines use to be metal, dont know about this rubber hose stuff. it's like taking a whipping with a rubber hose. Watch for Red Tranmission fluid leaks. Two of these small rubber hose lines run from the radiator to the tranny.This probably could have caused the failure of ACE 37 s transmission failure or could be one of the leaks in Zimm04 T&C

dkrab · January 2002

I don't know how long ago it was that these lines were metal, but on my '91 Grand Voyager they were rubber. They never leaked once in 139K miles. But I did have a trans go out at about 58K. I am sure they are rubber on most cars because they run between the engine/transmission assembly, which moves around, especially under load, to the radiator, which is mounted to the chassis.

indydriver · January 2002

If the problem was truly a leaking line and the dealer replaced it, this will not be a recurring problem for you. As dkrab states, those lines should last the life of the vehicle. You either got a very rare defective line (no doubt purchased by DC from an outside supplier) or it wasn't installed/tightened properly during assembly (unlikely or it would be a common problem).

The good news is that this was a very minor deficiency in your very complex automobile. Kudos to your dealer for identifying the problem and fixing first try and to Chrysler for standing behind their product and paying for it under warranty.

shovey0 · January 2002

Ok, I'll try to keep this short and I looked for another topic like this and could not find one, so, I'm sorry if it is somewhere else. Just point me the right direction and I'll move the discussion there. Also, I whine a little bit followed by questions.

Anyway, this past December, my wife and I decided to trade my '99 Dodge Dakota 4X4 for a new minivan. We searched and after many dealerships and test drives we found the dealer and vehicle we liked. Obviously, we decided on the 2002 GC ex.

The dealer worked with us and we were comfortable withthe deal. We drove the vehicle around town for about 50 mi or so before taking a trip home for the holidays. The van functioned fine and we are really pleased with it. It ran fine all the way there and while we stayed there. It was the trip home that we began to have trouble.

We experienced 3 issues:
1.) the left power door stop responding
2.) during transit, the vehicle began jerking intermittently.
3.) after the latter, the engine malfunction light illuminated.

Now, when we arrived home we drove the vehicle to the service department(they have Saturday hours)and they returned it to us the following Monday, all errors corrected as follows:

1.) the door: worked for them and still works. Ok, chalk it up to a 'triangle experience'.

2.) Engine light a result of a 'loose' injector.
3.) 'jerking' or loss of engine power due to misfire as result of the latter.

The van drove fine until the following Saturday:
1.) Door still works fine
2.) 'loss of engine power' or 'jerkiness'
3.) engine light came on.

They have had it for 3 weeks now and tell me that between thier technician and Chrysler they can't agree what the issue is or how to fix it. No options to resolve it either. The van only has 1700 mi(started with 11 mi) on it.

Frankly we are disappointed, we really like the van and if we were to replace it, we would get another. I understand that these things happen but how hard is it to see that this will not work for me?

So, what am I asking for here?

1.) Has anyone experienced a similar problem with a 2002 Grand Caravan eX that maybe I can point these guys too?

2.) Suggestions on how to help someone see the solution for me? Which is get me a new van! (I think at 1700 mi I'm entitled. Maybe I'm wrong, let me know that too!)A lawyer has told me I can't do anything about lemon law yet.

backy · January 2002

Have you tried your idea about a new van with the dealership yet? That seems a reasonable request to me given that they have had the van for three weeks and cannot find the problem. I am assuming they loaned you (at no charge) a comparable vehicle during these three weeks. If not, I would request one immediately. If the dealer does not agree with your request for a new van, you could take it up the chain at DaimlerChrysler. What does the lemon law in your state say? Usually it's three occurrences of the same problem. So you already have two. You might try offering them a per-mile fee for the 1700 miles you've driven, say 10-15 cents/mile, or offer to take a demo van with comparable miles, if they won't budge and you want to get it settled without lawyers and further aggravation.

mcl7 · January 2002

I have a T&C Limited 01,with 7000 miles, about a month ago
I noticed a humming noise coming from below the middle section
of the van,loud enough to be heard above the idling engine;
The dealer replaced the fuel pump, the noise was gone for about
a month, now it is back, I took the van back to the dealer, now they say
there is nothing wrong with the car. I took it to another dealer and
was also told it was the fuel pump.
Please all of you out there,can you hear your fuel pump above your
engine noise during idling? also, the noise was not there when I bought
the car.

dkrab · January 2002

Shovey0, you need to get as much information as you can about the lemon law in your state. It varies from state to state, but most have provisions for number of repair attempts and percentage of time your dealer had the vehicle compared to total time of ownership. Your state govt. should have a website for lemon law information. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, KEEP ALL RECIEPTS. It wouldn't be a bad idea to write conversation details down right in front of the service manager, while your talking to him. He'll get the point. Not to get ugly, but just to let them know you are aware of the lemon laws, just in case you need to pursue that avenue. Also, sounds like the lawyer you spoke too just wasn't really interested in a lemon law case. I guess they don't pay much. Good luck.

emale · January 2002

mc17,

does is sound like a high pitched noise/whine? if so, that is pretty common and i wouldn't worry too much about it, unless it is really loud. both of my dad's chryco minis had a high pitch wine emanating from the fuel pump...and neither of those pumps ever failed.

jpmack2 · January 2002

I have a 1997 Plymonth Voyager Minivan that has the following problems: 1. Does not shift easily into second gear (automatic trans 3.0 engine)2. the gas sensor and the air bag sensor randomly go on and off (no real pattern) 3. power steering is gone (the power steering unit was replaced under warranty about 2 1/2 years ago). Car is no longer under factory warranty. The vehicle is leased with expiration due in mid-March, 2002. Current mileage is 48,200k; no body damage or dings. Questions: Will the manufacturer replace the power steering unit again as it is obviously a problem on this vehicle? Should I purchase vehicle ($5,000 offer from lease company)? What could be my transmission issue? Finally do I need to make all these repairs before returning the vehicle

carleton1 · January 2002

Since the power steering unit was replaced under warranty 2-1/2 years ago, it is obvious that your van has a defect that causes the unit to fail.
Based on what you wrote, I think you got a bad Voyager. A bad vehicle (often called a lemon) will continue to have the same problem and develop new problems whereas a good vehicle does not develop any problems.
Many friends own DC minivans and do NOT have problems such as you had nor have they had transmission problems.
I recommend you walk away from the 97 Voyager at the end of the lease.

jodar96 · January 2002

Our 97 Dodge GC Caravan with 93K miles started having the problem this morning. Any idea what might be the problem? My wife drives the van, and I can't wait till I get home and see it for myself. She was saying that the light flicker, and the door ajar chime come on, and doors lock and lock!!!!!!!

I thought maybe the light flickering has some thing to do with the voltage regulator that is probably built into the alternator.

Has anyone seen this before?

emale · January 2002

could be the body control module. i know these can occasionally go hay-wire...

jacko · January 2002

I have similar problem that shovey0 with power sliding doors, seems like the buttons on side panels don't work all the time, you have to use the overhead console or remote to close/open the sliding doors. Dealer replaced switch but that's not it, did not go back yet to have them dig deeper, just curious if anyone out there has experienced this and knows the solution.
Besides that, it's a great van, we have 8,000 miles on it and enjoy driving it. Wife wanted an Odyssey, but it could not match the style and equipment offered in Grand Caravan.

jodar96 · January 2002

After seeing what my wife was talking about, The INTERIOR lights were the flickering lights, not the headlights! I guess it was my mistake to assume it was the headlight.

When I pushed the light switch in the door frame, I heard a clicking noise by the parking brake release peddle, which is an indication of a some type of relay down there. When I pushed/released the door switch several times in a row, at one point I heard 3-4 clicks off the relay instead of one. I know the problem is the sticky relay.

The owners manual does not say there is a relay there, just a few fuses. Now, does anyone know what that relay is called, and if anyone has had any problems with it. I was not able to dublicate lock/unlock/chime, and interior light flickring. It almost sound like what it is supposed to do when you get in a roll over accident.

dkrab · January 2002

You would have to be driving it to get the chimes and door locks to go off along with the interior lights. It chimes to let you know a door is not closed, and the doors will lock every time the contact is broken and the lights go back out if you are going over 12 mph. Sitting still in the driveway, you'll just get the lights. A possibility is the dome light switch on the dashboard. If you turn on the dome lights in the back of the van using this switch while the van is in motion, then turn them off again, you get a chime and door lock action. I don't know about the relay, but if you can hear it clicking, you can easily locate it by the sound.

mcl7 · February 2002

Thank you emale for your input; yes you described it better than I did.
It is a high pitch whine from the fuel pump, and it is very annoying. I wish it
was a defective pump, that way I could have it fixed. I guess I'll have tu turn
the infinity system louder.

phkck · February 2002

Don't you love rebates. Chrysler just downgrade value of my Limited T&C by offering another $1000 in rebates since I bought mine in Dec. Oh well, what can you do.

gmusic7 · February 2002

The left side sliding door motor/lock went dead AGAIN!!! It's happened twice before when the van was still under warranty. The worse part is that the door cannot be locked manually!!!

Just too many problems with this van over the past 5+ years:

Left side sliding door
Transmission dead at 44,000 miles
New water pump at 47,000 miles
New brake pads every 6 to 8 months

This piece of junk is a money pit. Never again will we buy a chrysler vehicle.

dchopp · February 2002

Big difference between yours and the new ones. you can have those kinds of problems with any vehicle. Check out Mr. so called reliable Honda Oddysey problems. I don't rely on Consumer Reports either. After following this Forum for tha last 5 years, one thing I have learned. When you buy a vehicle its going to be either a good one or a bad one. Sounds like you purchased a bad one. Maybe your luck will change the next time.--DCH

lexus_one · February 2002

Your luck will be alot better the next time around if you avoid anything produced by the original North America big three. Their favourite offering is mass produced garbage.

dmathews3 · February 2002

Thats most likely true, but Lexus isn't the greatest car in the world either. How about the road test in if I remember Auto Weekly about the Lexus 400 or 450 that they kept having electrical problems with. They would park it at the curb only to come back with the windows down, sunroof open pouring down rain, and many other problems that the dealer couldn't fix. Since at the time my buddy just bought a Lexus I made sure I made copies of the article and for about a month me and a few other guys who work with him kept hiding them all over. To be fair I think the Lexus in the best vehicle out there for most cases, but they aren't perfect either.

carleton1 · February 2002

Vehicles made by GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler
(we never got one until after Daimler purchased Chrysler Corp) have been reliable and dependable. I did get a few with problems with Big 3 but ALL foreign labels gave numerous problems.
I have purchased the following NEW vehicles: 63 Impala, 65 Buick, 67 Impala, 71 Vega, 71 VW Super Beetle, 72 Volvo, 75 VW Rabbit, 76 Chevy Nova (GM car....not Corolla clone), 78 Impala, 80 Impala, 80 Citation, 81 Chevy C-10 Pickup, 87 Chevy R-10 pickup, 91 Astro CL, 99 GC SE, and now a 2002 T&C eL.
All Impalas, Chevy Pickups, Astro, Buick, Vega, Nova were reliable with very few problems. The 80 Citation had numerous oil leaks and loose bolts and when the Manual Transmission had to be rebuilt (under warranty), we traded it off for the 81 Chevy Pickup.
All Volkswagens and the Volvo gave many problems and in my opinion they are JUNK in German and Swedish languages.
Our 99 GC SE had ZERO problems until 35,002 miles when it had a coolant leak that was fixed promptly the next day under warranty. It was such a fine vehicle, our daughter and son-in-law bought it from the dealer where we got our new 2002 T&C eL at the time we traded.
We got a used 1976 Ford Fairmont for our daughter in 1991 that was a very reliable, cheap to operate vehicle.
Toyota and its higher priced clone Lexus are very good, reliable vehicles....but too expensive to be a sensible purchase unless a person has more money than common sense.

dave210 · February 2002

Call me guilty for having more money than common sense, for I've owned three Toyota's (Cressida, Avalon, Avalon) and one Lexus LS400 (company car) in my lifetime. :-) At least I didn't have to pay for the LS400. Otherwise, that would have qulaified as an unwise purchase given the astromical price tag.

4aodge · February 2002

We've had two American made vehicles, both Chrysler minivans, and have driven a total of over 100k miles with both vehicles combined. No problems whatsoever. American garbage? I don't think so.

The notion of American automakers building garbage is quickly becomming a myth. Just look at Consumer Reports and all the other automotive authorities out there if you don't believe me. I'd feel much better now about buying a Chrysler van than I would have in 96 or earlier.

As far as I'm concerned, I'll never purchase a Japanese vehicle from now on. Besides from just liking the design of American cars better, I didn't like how so few Japanese companies contributed to the 9/11 funds. Look at it this way, Chryslers in huge financial trouble but they still contributed 10k in hard cash to support families of 9/11. That really says something. What about Honda? Nada.

That tells me they are after making money more than anything else. That's just how I feel about it...

-Adam

stever · February 2002

Heh, are you referring to that scam email that's going around about automakers' contributions to the WTC disaster? That's totally bogus.

One source puts Honda's contribution at 1.4 million and counting.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

emale · February 2002

carleton1 and 4adodge,

before you get your knickers in a twist, i suggest you check out some folk's history list (click on their townhall name). it says alot about their authenticity or lack thereof...

for instance, why would a guy who claims to own an '02 lexus only post in chrysler topics...?

4aodge · February 2002

I know how much you "editors" and "reviewers" here at edmunds.com love Honda but constantly trash DC and their products. I'll be real and take the word of that website over the "bogus" email that has been sent back and forth across the internet. But either way, Chrysler donated the most hard cash out of any other car company that I have seen.

It's simple, just do the math. 10 million dolars from a company which is currently not doing so well finacially versus a company, like Honda, who contributes 1.4 million but its doing very strong money-wise. I think that really says something...

-Adam

4aodge · February 2002

"I know how much you "editors" and "reviewers" here at edmunds.com love Honda but constantly trash DC and their products"

I always try to back up what I say, so I will continue to do so. To see for youself the level of bias the "editors" here at edmunds.com have, just look at the introduction to the long-term road test of their 2001 Grand Caravan ES. It almost gets funny after a while... I know I would be embarrassed to have one of my editors write such an unprofessional and clearly biased review of any car if I were the guy running the show at Edmunds.

-Adam

carey3 · February 2002

I bought a 2002 DC Ex 3.8L in November, there has been this noise that kicks in after the van has warmed up a bit. It sounds like a cooling fan or something. There is a droning that is not related to RPM. It stops as soon as the engine is shut off. It does not cycle like an AC unit compressor would. In fact, I cannot control it with any interior function choices. The vibration that occurs with the noise can be felt through the steering system when I am sitting at a light or just idling. I do not notice anything when driving, only when I am at very low RPM, or sitting in park. Please advise. Thank You.

stever · February 2002

Suit yourself. I've never owned a Honda. I did drive an '89 Voyager for 10 years. My brother had a CR-V for a year or two, but felt it was underpowered for pulling their pop-up, so they traded for a '01 Caravan. I've sat in it for 8 hour stretches, and it's a comfy ride.

I don't have much tolerance for spam, especially those that spread FUD, and I don't believe everything I read, even if it's a car review from Edmunds.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

backy · February 2002

I took my '99 GCS in to the dealer today to get an oil change. At the same time, they took it upon themselves to do the fuel rail recall work. Including the oil change, I was in and out in 75 minutes. Therefore, if you can find a cooperative dealer like mine (Walser Dodge in Bloomington, MN), you can get the fuel rail recall work done immediately even if you don't have a '96 model van.

awyee · February 2002

I purchased a 2002 Grand Caravan SE (3.3L engine) two weeks ago and encountered the same problem. The noise is actually coming from the cooling fan when the van was warmed for the first 5 minutes. The problem went away after the van was driven for a while (~10 minutes later). The dealer do not know the cause of it.

duke87nuke · February 2002

I have a new (4,000 miles) T&C Lxi 3.8L that does the same thing as carey3's at seemingly random times. It does not occur that often, but I cannot control it either. It does NOT go away when the van is warmed up. Its on my list for when I take it in to the dealer for the first time. I'm curious too if anybody has a good answer - its very noticeable.

tstraub · February 2002

Hi, new to this forum, the "folks" have a 96 voyager, 98k with a distinct clunk noise in the front end when going over any kind of bump. Especially noticeable over speed bumps at low speed,I'm thinking tie rod end, or...???Has been a great van otherwise, no problems to speak of, their 3rd voyager, over 350k combined. Thanks

vcheng · February 2002

Check the ball joint on the lower control arm. They should be greased every 30k, and if not done, can clunk. Removal of the arms and new ball joints pressed in cures the problem.

tstraub · February 2002

thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out.

geream · February 2002

I have the same problem. The cooling fan comes on after the car is heated up. The car vibrates and the noise is very unpleasant. I have a 2001 Limited, w/ 3.8 engine. Dealer can find nothing wrong with the car. Would sure like to get a fix!

pluto5 · February 2002

I have a '94 DC/GC/SE purchased new and ordered with minimum options. Result, no electrical problems. Just the usual early transmission failure, paint failure, rear wiper motor failure and A/C evaporator coil failure, all paid for mostly by DC. No wonder they don't want to extend 7 yr. warranty to the second owner! What they really need to offer is a 10yr bumper to bumper warranty like the Korean manufacturers.

carleton1 · February 2002

When my Korean-American neighbor won't drive a Korean label vehicle...that tells me something.
She bought a Kia Sephia a few years ago but soon got rid of it for a Nissan Sentra.
We test drove a NEW 2002 Kia Sedona EX and were quite impressed with the smooth, powerful, relatively quiet vehicle. However, it is NOT in the same class as the Odyssey, Grand Caravan, or Town & Country. Sedona feels smaller than the Voyager or Caravan and had wind noise from the luggage rack...something not noticed on many of the DC minivans I have driven.
Reliability? Only 1 of dozens of DC minivan owners I know has had any problem. He had transmission failure on his 1996 T&C LXi at 150,000 miles. However, his wife said it was probably due to them pulling a heavy trailer all of the time.

backy · February 2002

Actually, the Hyundai/Kia bumper-to-bumper warranty is 5 years/60,000 miles. The 10 year warranty is for the powertrain only, and is transferrable only within your immediate family--unless you buy an extended warranty from Hyundai, which extends the bumper-to-bumper to 10 years.

darpin1 · February 2002

My 2001 Caravan Sport does the same...both fans come on and usually before it gets to the operating temp.(even in -20 celsius) this happens at first start-up or when it's been sitting for a few hrs....at first I was worried but then my cousin told me his Intrepid does the same...I suspect the computer is controlling it (what's new these days) to make sure everything warms up quicker without over heating so that fuel burns cleaner(to meet emmissions). Once it's run thru it's cycle(give or take 10 minutes) I don't hear again...annoying since you might think it's a problem...maybe just a sign of the times?

gobau · February 2002

I have '98 Dodge Grand Caravan and have a service light on. Does anyone know how to reset that?
Help me.

pluto5 · February 2002

I did not mean to imply that DC's quality is inferior to Korean's--I don't know about that nor do I care; I'm saying that a solid warranty is a sound way to retain customer confidence. The fact that DC will not transfer the powertrain warranty to a second owner doesn't help with resale value, either.

I never had the major component failures on Ford or GM products that I had with DC, so I cannot say much for DC quality. Nor much for DC customer service, having had to return to the "five star" dealer 3-4 times before they agreed that the transmission was not functioning properly. Maybe that's why they call them five star dealers: it takes up to five visits before they can satisfy the customer!

As far as other owners, all the DC owners I've talked to have had premature transaxle failure, and my independent mechanic says he has replaced lots of DC A/C coils, and the flat rate is about twice many other cars. As far as paint problems, I see it frequently on DC vans.

As far as the service engine light problem, try disconnecting the battery cable. That clears the trouble codes on some cars, but my DC shop manual fails to impart that bit of useful information.

backy · February 2002

Maybe I'm very lucky. I had no problems with a '91 base Caravan I drove for eight years (I had some recalls done, but they never caused me any trouble before the recall work). I've had two minor problems on my '99 GCS in nearly three years: a defective sensor and a rattle in the side doors, both fixed under warranty. I guess I should knock on wood. I've also been extremely satisfied with the service I've received from my dealer, Walser Dodge (formerly Freeway Dodge) in Bloomington, MN over those 11 years. That more than anything may influence my decision of which minivan to get when the lease is up on the GCS in two years. It's easy to run into poor dealer service these days, so when you find a good one it's worth sticking with.

pluto5 · February 2002

Although I did not have the same problem I found that I had to find another dealer to get initial problems fixed the first time. Dodge and Chrysler service dept. personnel do not seem to be concerned about where you purchased your vehicle so try another service department which may be able to correct the problem. I found that my selling dealer did not have an adequately staffed service department so was not in a position to fix anything of even moderate complexity. So, I stopped going to the Dodge service dept. after 2 visits and went to a Chrysler shop which did most of my warranty work without a return visit.

ian18 · February 2002

As backy spoke so highly of his Dodge service department in Bloomington, MN; can anyone give a similar recommendation for a dealer in the Naperville, IL (suburb of Chicago) area?

dvanderbol · February 2002

Yes have all been checked--3 weeks ago the mechanic said the exhaust was leaking into the radiator--and installed thick copper washer between the block and the head--cleared trouble for 2 weeks.
today the radiator was replaced with a used one from salvage--hope this fixes it but I don't have much hope

bgood2day · February 2002

My 2001 T&C LX emits musty/moldy air when I turn one the defroster. It usually lasts for couple minutes. The dealer has tried to fix it a few times, but no luck so far. They "solve" the problem by spraying a freshener into the system. This just hides the smell. Has anyone, or is anyone experiencing this? Do you know how to fix it? Chrysler has not issued a bulletin on it however I know they recognize it is a problem because I received a survey and the last question asked was" Do you experience a musty smell when you turn on the defroster". My 2 year old daughter has asthma and we have to open the windows when we turn the defrost on. Not a good thing in the middle of winter. Any help would greatly appreciated.

Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions

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